FAQs

Play within 28 days of signing up. On the day, start the trail within the time window. Eg if the hunt states, 'Start time: Sun 12pm-3pm' then send the start message after 12pm, and by 3pm.

The latest start time assumes you take no longer than the maximum duration. 90% of participants complete the trail within the maximum duration. If you want to play leisurely then start at least an hour before the latest start time.

There are no time limits on completing individual clues.

Some hunts have limited availability to avoid overwhelming locations en route. For these hunts you’ll be asked to pick a date before you enter your team details.

All team captains receive a welcome text message once you've signed up. Team 1 can start the hunt by replying with 'start' to this message. If you've not received the message, log in to your hunt and check that the mobile number for team 1 is correct.

You should receive most replies within a few seconds. If you are in an area with poor mobile phone reception you can resend your answer or add another teammate's mobile. See how it works for more details.

If you're running an event for three or more teams, or it's just really important to you that you understand how everything works, then here are some top tips to get the best out of your trail:

1. Read up: Read the how it works page. Print copies for all team captains to read on the day

2. Put yourself down as team 1 captain: Only team 1 can start the hunt so you’ll be in control.

3. Keep it a secret, if you want: If your event is a secret, don’t worry – you don’t have to let all your captains know. If you have two or more teams you’ll see that you get an extra box to tick, then teams 2+ will not receive emails or texts until they start the hunt. Double-check that that you’ve got the right number for all team captains.

4. Make use of the breaks: The breaks allow teams to compare notes along the way.

Yes - unless the trail is marked 'over 18s only' then supervised children can be brought along. Make sure you finish the trail by 5pm - it's a restriction by pubs on the trail. If the trail is marked 'over 18s only' then even attended children (however big or small) cannot be taken on the trail, due to licensing restrictions by some venues on the trail. Booooo...

The Camera Cafe is on Beech Street, just north of the Barbican Centre. Here’s a map.

Once you arrive look for a table with a HiddenCity logo on it, and check in with us and we’ll set you off – you won’t have to wait until everyone gets there.

We recommend you have a snack before you start the trail: the first opportunity to get food is about 2 hours into the trail. So arrive on the early side if you’d like to eat at the Camera Cafe. The cafe serves food, wine, beer and soft drinks. Or head to the Jugged Hare pub, diagonally opposite.

Get started

We’ll brief you when you arrive and ask you to send ‘start’ from your phone.

Once you send start you’ll get the first clue. You can solve the first clue seated in the cafe, so no need to finish your drink before you send ‘start’. The first clue is a harder clue designed to stagger teams. Previous teams have taken between 3 and 15 minutes to solve the first clue.

To be eligible for the prize start the trail no earlier than 6pm and no later than 7.10pm.

Breaks with food and drinks

The trail comprises three stages, with 15 clues in total:

Stage 1: 8 clues followed by a 30 minute break at a bar. Stage 2: 3 clues followed by a 45 minute break. You’ll have time to order a bar snack.Stage 3: 4 clues – food available until 10pm, or if too busy head to one of the nearby places nearby for food.

Finish

We’ll be around at the end location until 10pm. We’d love to find out how you got on so come find us and have a chat.

The prize for the fastest team is four bottles of champagne for the fastest team. We’ll informally announce prizes once most people have finished – between 9pm and 10pm. If you think you might have won then make sure you stick around.

Weather-permitting

If the weather’s not so good we may reschedule. If no more than drizzle or the odd shower we’ll crack on.

Straight-forward competition rules

1. The winner is the fastest team to get to the end location, including time penalties.2. If you break a rule we may disqualify you.3. We (HiddenCity) are the judges.4. Start no earlier than 6pm and no later than 7pm.5. No collaboration with other teams.7. You must not have attempted the trail before.8. If you win then collect the prize on the day.

We can create large-scale bespoke experiences tailored for brands, designed for 10,000+ people to take part in. Get in touch if you're a brand and are interested in working with us. Brands that we've worked with include The Guardian, Time Out, the City of London and Eastpak.

If you’re looking for an experience for your corporate event then you can sign up and take part in any of our trails available for you to sign up to on the website.

We don’t customise trails for private events. Why? We’re focussing on creating new experiences that everyone can take part in, in line with our mission.

Each trail states the level of local knowledge required when you choose a hunt. At the moment it's either none or low. 'Low' means some clues may reference landmarks in the city. If you don't know the local landmarks, bring a map or ask a local.

Our trails are written with native English speakers in mind, and we often use English idioms, slang and cultural references. Examples of slang include: the fuzz (the police), baccy (tobacco) and grub (food).

But don't let that put you off! You can always request hints and hot hints should you come across a clue you find particularly tricky!

All UK phone numbers will work with HiddenCity. International mobile phones sometimes work but, if you have an international phone, we would highly recommend adding the phone number of anybody in your party with UK phone before starting your trail.

If nobody in your party has a UK mobile, we would suggest acquiring a UK Pay-As-You-Go SIM card before beginning the trail. These are free with a minimum top up amount.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to take part?

Most HiddenCity trails are £25 per team, and you can have any number of people on a team. Some special trails have a different price and have limited numbers per team.

How do I pay?

You can pay by Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

When can I play?

On most trails you can play any day within 28 days of signing up. Some trails require you to book a date. These trails have limited availability. Each hunt states the earliest and latest time you can start.